1953 Map of East Kittitas

About this map

Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific rail lines dominate the central geography of this 1950s survey, cutting through the high country as they approach the small settlement of Renslow. The landscape is a study in early mid-century water management, where complex irrigation systems including the Highline Canal and Cascade Canal snake through the foothills. This infrastructure, supported by a Pipeline, Flume, and a Pumping Sta, highlights the intensive effort required to move water from the Boylston Mountains to the lower agricultural lands near East Kittitas. In the southern portion of the quadrangle, a dense network of smaller channels like Turbine Ditch, Pump Ditch, and Gravity Ditch trace the contours of the land around Badger Creek. This map reveals the transition from the steep, dry walls of Johnson Canyon to a valley floor transformed by engineered waterways.